Tales and legends structure the imagination of the territory, carried by oral tradition and evenings ...
Fairies and witches
The fairy are present in local legends. In Albières and in other villages, in the streams or the wash houses, the fairies beat the laundry on full moon nights. Beware of the lost traveler who would like to help them or succumb to their charm: he would be drawn definitively into the other world.
"Dins los caminòls, qual las a fregadas
Las Mitonas? N'i a, pr'aquò, set or uèit
That, when pel solelh the camper is quiet,
Dins de caunas are totjorn amagadas.
Defòra se'n van, subrabelugadas
Tre que lo boièr raiva dins son leit
Van al gorg vesin may fresc that the night
Amb un bacèl d'aur lavar las bugadas. "
Prosper Estieu.
In the paths, who grazed them the mitounes? There are, however, seven or eight who hide in caves when it is sunny. When the plowman is lying down, they go to the neighboring abyss to do the laundry with a golden bar. Prosper Estieu
In Lairière, witches become hares at night. So, when the hour was getting late, the master of the house would say: "Se'n cal anar al lèit que la lebre va passar" - Let's go to bed, because the hare will pass.
Animals
We knew scare away the wolves, like that musician who had gone up to Albas to play the violin. As he descended towards the sea, he felt that a wolf was pursuing him. He threw away the cakes of his salary to calm the beast. Until the last crumb… Seeing himself lost, he touched a string of the violin which emitted a plaintive sound which made the wolf flee.
THEdonkey played an essential role for the establishment of the vine. A story goes that a donkey named Martin even invented the size allowing his master and then so many others to improve their harvest.
"Mas ont èra passat ase Martin?" Fled from the stable. the mother lo cerquèt, lo trapète dins una vinha salvatja a la sortida de Tuissan. Aviá tot rosegat. Las brancas longas èran vengudas cortetas a entorn del soc. The mother fetched a repassada of còps de bròcs al paure Martin. Mas estiu vengut, unas bèlas gaspas apareissián sus las vises. AT ! ongan, seriá pas una recòlta de rasims magrinèls. In vendémia time, amassed early aquel rasim, lo faunhèt, gardèt lo chuc dins las tinas. Aquel chuc avenguèt wine. E tot aquò mercé to Martin, the ase of Tuissan invented by the poda! "
The donkey Martin had escaped from the stable. The master found him in a wild vine at the exit of Tuchan, gnawing at the branches. The master thrashed Martin. But the summer came, the stumps bent under the weight of the beautiful bunches of grapes. Martin had invented the size!
The Kings
The achievements of Charlemagne, real or legendary, are found in the designation of several places or at the base of the construction of chapels: “In an uncertain battle against the Saracens, Count Olivier said: "Where will my sword fall, a chapel will be built" by promising to build an oratory to the Virgin if victory smiles on him. The next day he routed the enemy and la Chapel of Our Lady of the Olive was built. He had an olive branch placed in the hand of the Virgin in memory of his name and the peace obtained. "
Vous pouvez leave in search of treasures : that ofAlaric, the Visigothic king, hidden somewhere on the slopes of the mountain or on the side of Duilhac-sous-Peyrepertuse by finding the queen's cup : “In 1367, Enric de Transtamare lost a battle against his natural brother, Peter the Cruel, King of Castile. He runs away with his family. Arrived at Peyrepetuse, his wife Blanche stopped to drink at a spring. She dropped her silver cup which was not found. Maybe she is still there?
The priest of Cucugnan
The story of the priest of Cucugnan was born from an anecdote about a priest of… Ginestas:
"- Pan pan pan!
- Who tusta debàs?
- Lo pair Borràs.
- Qual demandatz?
- From people of Ginestàs.
- Aicí did not, anatz pus low.
- (In infèrn) - Intratz, intratz, n'i en manca pas. "
Hercule Birat - Lo sermon of the Boràs pair
Translation: Pan pan pan / Who knocks down? / Father Bourras / Who are you asking? / The people of Ginestas. / Here there is none. See below. / (In hell) Come in, come in, there are plenty of them.
Hercule Birat - Father Bourras' sermont.
But the following authors and Roumanille, Daudet and Achille Mir found the tastier Cucugnan name !
However, there is not only the parish priest in Cucugnan, there is also lo Mètge (the doctor) who, in popular tradition or in plays (Prospèr Estieu, Max Roqueta) claims to be able to wake up the dead, including no one do wish to see the return to this world!
In Cucugnan, the tale has now found a privileged place of expression with the organization of a Fairytale Festival in July, doubled by a sermon competition ! Finally, in the heart of the village, a version of Sermon of the Curé of Cucugnan, is offered to you at Achille Mir Theater.